What did you do to combat rice cereal constipation?

Alison - posted on 11/26/2008
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I just started my son on rice cereal a few days ago and am wondering what other mom's have done to help with constipation. He isn't having problems yet, I just want to have an idea of what I can do when he starts to. I've heard of adding corn syrup. I don't know if I like that idea. I'd like something a little more natural. But if you have used corn syrup, how much? Thanks for your help!

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Missy - posted on 11/29/2008

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I did mix the cereal with my breastmilk and sometimes with juice. When my grandson was born, we did not start him with cereal first. We started feeding him veggies first. He was getting enough carbs/starch from his mom's milk. Introduced only 1 at a time to make sure he wasn't allergic. That kept him from being constipated. By the time he started eating cereal his bowels were pretty well regulated and adjusted to more solid foods. Got the idea from a pediatrician who said he really couldn't understand why the first introduction to food was starch/carbs. Made a lot of sence to me. He's healthy and has not problems with growth and development.

When my daughter and son had that happen, I mixed apple juice w/ the rice cereal instead of formula or breast milk as usual. (Applesauce is used to bind, and apple juice is used to help with regularity, so make sure it's the juice.)

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Missy - posted on 11/29/2008

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I have five children. If you are breastfeeding, you shouldn't have a problem with constipation. If your baby is on formula, that is sometimes a different story. You can prepare the cereal a little thinner or you can give your baby water to drink. I wouldn't suggest putting the karo in the water and the mix is not 1:2 it's just a teaspoon or two depending on how much water you are planning to serve (4oz./8oz.) Really the syrup is just to get the baby to drink the water. But if you don't want your baby hooked on sweet water, it is not necessary to use it.

I made my son homemade prune sauce by boiling several prunes and then pureeing with applesause--worked likea charm by the next day, other fruits that may work are apricots. On the website www.wholefoods.com there are ideas for combating constipation. Good luck.

If your baby is not anemic I would use the organic rice cereal, it tastes better too! That way you won't have the constipation problem at all. I used blackstrap molasses to give iron instead. It is actually the best source of iron! A book that I love is Super Baby Food. Its a lttle earthy and doesn't reccommend giving baby any meat ever but the nutritional information in it is awesome!

My pediatrician advised me to give my 5 month old baby an ounce of prune juice per day or a teaspoon of the dark Karo corn syrup mixed in with the cereal I have only tried the corn syrup and it seems to be working.

You can add wheat germ to the cereal also. That always does the trick. And, neither one of my kids good digest the rice cereal, so I switched to oatmeal w/in the first week of feeding them cereal and then they were fine! Good luck.

You can mix Karo Syrup and water in a bottle (I think its one part Karo, 2 parts water...can't remember). I did try that when my daughter was a baby, and it did work. As your Ped. MD to be sure. Mine also suggested getting the Fleet Suppositories and breaking them in half. This DOES work. A lot of times if they are constipated just the action of pushing their knees into their belly and putting the suppository in will make their bowels move. Just remember to squeeze their little cheeks (ha ha) together after you put it in so they won't shoot it across the room. :-)